Horse racing is a sport where horses compete against each other for a prize. It is one of the oldest sports in the world and has changed from a primitive contest of speed and stamina between two animals into a spectacle featuring large fields, sophisticated electronic monitoring equipment and immense sums of money. But its basic concept remains the same: the horse that finishes first is the winner.
A number of factors influence horse race times, from esoteric veterinary and training practices to abrasive track conditions. However, the most important factor seems to be the inherent physical ability of the animals themselves. This is evident from an analysis of timed results comparing human and horse races in elite events.
The comparison shows that, while human athletes have continued to improve their winning times over the years, the improvement in horse race times has been largely flat since 1950. A variety of theories have been advanced to explain this trend. Some, such as the insufficient genetic variation created by generations of inbreeding in the Thoroughbreds, have been discarded as unsatisfactory (Gaffney and Cunningham 1988).
Despite the huge investment by owners, trainers, jockeys, and veterinarians, many racehorses do not have long careers. Hundreds of horses are sold at auction or through claiming races each year, and most do not remain in the hands of their original owners for very long. In addition, most races are contested at various locations throughout the country and around the world, so racehorses seldom spend much time in the same stables or even on the same racetrack.
As a result, most racehorses have no true home base, and it is not uncommon for them to have been owned by three or more people during their careers. In fact, the turnover is so great that very few racehorses are ever able to form strong bonds with any of their human partners.
Another problem is that races are often too long for horses to be able to perform at their best. As a result, many horses have to be “pulled up” prematurely, or they may finish the race in last place, requiring them to undergo lengthy rehabilitation and recovery before they can begin competing again. The long-term health of a racehorse is also compromised by the fact that they are forced to run so much, and the physical and emotional stress can lead to numerous health problems.
Although the sport has its fair share of crooks who drug or otherwise abuse their animals, many good men and women work in horse racing, and a lot of money is made by them. But there are also many who find the industry disgusting, from the exploitation of young horses to the transport of American racehorses to foreign slaughterhouses. As a result, a growing movement has emerged to end the cruelty of the sport.